Fukuoka, gateway to colorful hells and muddy bubble ponds

[AR Ardent Rambler]

Prologue:

Around New year’s, I agreed on attending Congress meeting in Fukuoka, Japan. This would be my first to Fukuoka, the gateway to cultural and hot water spring hub in the island of Kyushu. I will never miss an opportunity to revisit ‘The Land of Rising Sun’.

There are three things that I love about Japan:
1. Food: It is not only the Umami that makes it special; it is the presentation and the effort it takes to make it a piece of art?
2. People: Without any doubt, they are the most courteous and helpful people in the world.
3. Toilet seat: they are perennially warm even on the coldest night!

Our itinerary and logistics including everything was planned by a travel agent. So this travelogue will not be helpful for persons with DIY and budget restrictions. However we all can enjoy the t’logue to Japan.

Our itinerary was as follows.

Day 1: BKK 2 FUCK: Red eye flight with morning arrival in Fukuoka airport.
Day 2: Drive 2 Beppu via Yufuin. Overnight stay in Beppu.
Day 3: Drive from Beppu to Fukuoka: Lunch at Kane Honke Crab; Afternoon drive to Sakurai Futamigaura’s couple stones. Overnight to Fukuoka.
Day 4: Morning meeting. Afternoon drive to Marinepal Yobuko. Return to Fukuoka: After dinner drive to Fukuoka tower. Overnight in Fukuoka.
Day 5: Drive to Dazaifu. FUCK airport. Return flight FUK 2 BKK.

We will start with a few teasers in BCMTouring tradition:

Edo style shop lining the street of Yufuin

Harry Porter’s Cotswold museum in Yufuin

One of the stalls serving delicious food in Yufuin

Kinrinko lake in Yufuin

Cherry blossom in Dazaifu

Jigoku Meguri, "blood pond hell in Beppu

Green color hell with beautiful garden in Umi Jigoku, Beppu

Onishibozu Jigoku, boiling mud bubbles pool hell in Beppu

Tori gate in one of the hells in Beppu

Umi Jigoku, "sea hell" with boiling water in Beppu
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Our Pinky boat in Yobuko

View of Yobuko, Squid town

View of Hakata bay and town from Fukuoka tower

Bird's eye view of the city from Fukuoka tower

Fukuoka tower

Unique top ten Starbucks outlet in Dazaifu

In the campus of Dazaifu temple complex

Plum and Cherry blossom in Dazaifu

Yobuko bridge during our sailing expedition in Yobuko in Fuji B&W simulation

Dazaifu in Fuji B&W simulation

Plum and cherry blossom trees in Dazaifu

Sakurai Futamigaura’s couple stone

Tori gate to Dazaifu temple complex in Fuji B&W simulation

 

[AR Ardent Rambler]

Day 1, BKK 2 FUCK: Check in, check out!

Post COVID 19 air travel has been never more difficult; longer queues @ airline check-in, security and immigration counters. Check-in was a breeze. However security and immigration clearance took almost an hour. I had two hours to spare in the duty free area. I was looking for Japanese Gin in the alcohol section. Trust me since COVID times they make the best gin; try Kina Bi. I found a cafe and killed my time with an espresso and croissant. I got to meet the rest of the gang @ C gate for boarding the plane. After a long wait, I was @ the window seat. I dozed out for two hour hours. We were woken up for breakfast an hour and half before landing. It was dawn and I was enjoying the hues of sun rise. I picked up chicken fried rice. We arrived an hour later than our scheduled time. The queues @ the vaccination and immigration counters were very long despite the online registration. It took us almost two hours before I picked up my bags and passed through the Green line.
Some captures from the sky; all mobile uploads.

Suvarnabhumi International Airport BKK

⁷

GM;

Hues of dawn

Orange hues of dawn

Scratched window panes playing spoilt sport

On the wing

Sprayed hues courtesy strached window pane

Abode the clouds

On the wings of love

Fukuoka

Fukuoka, here we come

Arigato gosaimus, Fukuoka

On the wings of love above Fukuoka coastline

Remember the 80s number,Arigato Mr Roberto from STYX

Guess the wing of airline?

Just below landing in Fukuoka airport

Love the unfocused capture in B&W

Coastline of Fukuoka

You light up our life

Early morning sun lighting up the coastline

Suvarnabhumi International Airport BKK

 

[AR Ardent Rambler]

Day 2, drive 2 Beppu via Yufuin: Overnight stay in Beppu:
Outdoor temperatures were hovering around 10 degree centigrade. Our group was ready to leave for Yufuin. We were traveling by bus coach. The drive was enjoyable through scenic landscape. We were in this touristy village by noon. We checked in for Yakitori style lunch. The highlight were the giant mushrooms.
We had an hour and half to spend in this Onsen town with Edo architecture styled houses and shops. The first place was fairytale Floral village. It is small theme park based on Harry Porter’s Cotswald. Teenagers were enjoying clicking selfies. I did not spend much time and as I was feeling a little out of place. I started walking towards Kinrinko lake. It is located at the foot of Mt. Yufuin. I did captures the spectacular views of the lake. Then I walked along Yunotsubo lane which connects the lake to station. The lane is full of eateries serving delicious croquettes, Doriyaki, ice cream, matcha tea, etc. and souvenir shops. I too lowered my guard to satisfy my sweet tooth with yummiest cheesecake and washed it down with the freshest of Matcha latte

All mobile uploads

Good morning Fuckuoka

Vitamin B complex drink is commonly consumed by locals as an energiser.

Beautiful landscape during our drive to Yufuin

Yakitori lunch with highlight being the giant mushrooms . Note the giant on left side of plate.

Floral village

Floral village

Cotswald world

Yufuin village and Yunotsubo lane

Tourists on Yunotsubo lane

Yummiest matcha latte

Queue for yummiest cheesecake

Dog house of Yufuin

Kinrinko lake

Kinrinko lake in B & W

A time to reflect on your past

U R not Alone! That's not true

Serene surrounding of the lake

Wooden house next to the lake

Kinrinko lake is surrounded by trees

The lake is mountains on one side

"A bridge 2 far"

In B &W avatar

Yufuin village

Walk around the lake

Walk around the lake

Walkin in the village

On the far end of village

 

[AR Ardent Rambler]

Yufuin village (continued)
Fuji uploads

Main area and Yunotsubo lane

B&W avatar of Edo style shops

Colorful umbrella dusplay

Waiting for their yummy treats

Taking a break

Colorful displays of efo style shops

This girl wants to ride with Teddy bear

Yufuin Floral village

Cotswald world

Kinrinko lake and the rest of the village

Far end of the village

A Bridge 2 far

Primitive shops in Yufuin village

Houses in far end of the village

Far end of the village

 

[anupmathur]

Absolutely lovely!
But Doc, you seem to have got the Yakitori wrong. Looks more like Sashimi?

 

[AR Ardent Rambler]

Yufuin village (continued)
Fuji uploads

Main area and Yunotsubo lane
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B&W avatar of Edo style shops
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Colorful umbrella dusplay
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Waiting for their yummy treats
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Taking a break
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Colorful displays of efo style shops
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This girl wants to ride with Teddy bear
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Yufuin Floral village
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Cotswald world

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Kinrinko lake and the rest of the village
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Far end of the village
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A Bridge 2 far
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Primitive shops in Yufuin village
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Houses in far end of the village
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Far end of the village
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- Yakitori is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves skewering the meat with kushi, a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials. Afterwards, they are grilled over a charcoal fire. During or after cooking, the meat is typically seasoned with tare sauce or salt. Other meat and vegetables can also be grilled.
- Sashimi is thinly sliced, raw food. Seafood is most commonly eaten as sashimi, but other meats and foods can also be served as sashimi.

We grilled the meat and vegetables. So it is Yakitori.

 

[anupmathur]

- Yakitori is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves skewering the meat with kushi, a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials. Afterwards, they are grilled over a charcoal fire. During or after cooking, the meat is typically seasoned with tare sauce or salt. Other meat and vegetables can also be grilled.
- Sashimi is thinly sliced, raw food. Seafood is most commonly eaten as sashimi, but other meats and foods can also be served as sashimi.

We grilled the meat and vegetables. So it is Yakitori.

Ah, understood. The confusion was because the photo did not show barbecued Yakitori.

 

[Gaurav Chopra]

Japan is so inviting through your photos @AR Ardent Rambler
Looking forward to this t-log

 

[AR Ardent Rambler]

Japan is so inviting through your photos @AR Ardent Rambler
Looking forward to this t-log

Thank you, Gaurav Chopra.

 

[AR Ardent Rambler]

Next we proceeded to the hells (Jigoku), the main attractions of Beppu. There are seven spectacular hot springs for viewing rather than bathing. They are steaming ponds of various colors and bubbling mud pools.

Oniishibozu Jigoku
This hell is named after the mud bubbles, which emerge from boiling mud pools and look like the shaven heads of monks. There is also a foot bath with clear water.

Jigoku Meguri
The "blood pond hell" features a pond of hot, red water and a large souvenir shop. It is one of the more photogenic hells.

Umi Jigoku
One of the more beautiful hells, the "sea hell" features a pond of boiling, blue water. In its spacious gardens, there are a few smaller, orange colored hells and a clear water pond with lotus flowers whose large leaves are strong enough to carry small children.

Kamado Jigoku
The "cooking pot hell" features several boiling ponds and a flashy demon statue as cook. On the grounds, visitors can drink the hot spring water, enjoy hand and foot baths, inhale the hot spring steam and try various snacks cooked or steamed by the hot spring.

We checked in Suginoi Onsen hotel. The room was rather spacious considering the small rooms in bigger cities with beautiful view of Beppu coastline.

Captures of Jigoku Meguri, Bloody Hell

Probably the most photogenic pond

A few cherry trees blossoming earlier tha expected

Visitors appreciating the cherry blossom trees

Bloody pond

Smoky bloody pond

Khoony pond

Cherry blossom

I have accept the fact that I am quite bad with macros

Early flowering of cherry blossom ; breaking up from buds! Overexposed capture

Pond filled with bloody waters

Bloody pond with sulphur smoke

Jigoku Meguri

Probably this capture depicts what Jigoku Meguri is?

Khooni lake